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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28835883">easy as breathing</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/danhoweiis/pseuds/danhoweiis'>danhoweiis</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Pining</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 13:35:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>958</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28835883</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/danhoweiis/pseuds/danhoweiis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>dan likes phil but he's too much of a chicken to actually admit it</p><p>(title from when the lights go out - gabrielle aplin)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dan Howell/Phil Lester</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>easy as breathing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>it's only january and i've already written and posted 3 fics? who IS she?</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Being with him it's like I don’t have to think. It's like the easiest thing in the world. I don’t need to try and be anyone else other than myself when I’m with him.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dan was lounging across his friend Grace’s sofa. Arms flailing with each word before sighing in defeat and dropping them to his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And does he know this?” Grace queried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dan shrugged. “Course not. I...I don’t know how to tell him that. What if he hates me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would he hate you? You’re his best friend?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly! Key word ‘friend.’ What if it...it’s too much and I scare him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That's got to be easier than living like this right? Hiding how you feel?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don't want to lose him Grace.” Dan’s voice went quiet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look, just be honest with him. Because I for one am fed up with your pining. It's exhausting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was gonna do it. He had made plans with Phil to go to his flat and play video games and he was gonna tell Phil exactly how he felt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could picture it now in his head. He’d tell Phil and Phil would smile and say </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I feel the exact same.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> And then they'd make out on Phil’s sofa for 3 hours. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course that was just a fantasy, and he knew that life wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. And that making out with your best friend was something that only happened in the movies.. Things like that always went horribly wro-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dan? Earth to Dan?” Phil chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dan had been so lost inside his own head he hadn’t realised he had already arrived at Phil's flat, somehow rang the doorbell in his daze and now here was Phil, standing right in front of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You look a million miles away.” Phil said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dan grinned and scratched his head. “Yeah, sorry. Was just caught up in my own head.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well get outta there, and come and play Mario Kart with me.” Phil said, giving Dan’s head a tap as he stepped out of the way so Dan could come inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Just tell him. Put your drink down, take a deep breath and tell him. Just say it.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Dan had been there for an hour, he’d lost 3 Mario Kart races and nearly spilt his drink all over Phil’s couch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You alright? You seem a little out of it today?” Phil asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Do it. Tell him now.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I just...um...I’m th...I'm thinking of getting a new job.” Dan blurted out. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, that’s cool.” Phil replied. “Where?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dan’s mind raced to come up with a response. “A record store. They have a small venue in the basement and they want someone to help out at events and in the shop.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t exactly a lie. Dan had been eyeing up the job but he really had no intentions of leaving his current job at the stationery store where he worked. His stupid brain had just chickened out at the last second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’d be ace at that.” Phil said, grinning. “I say go for it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks.” Dan said sheepishly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You want to play another game?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure. How about Crash Bandicoot?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That game was so intense and took so much concentration, surely it would be able to distract Dan enough to shut his brain up for 5 minutes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excellent choice Daniel.” Phil said, standing up to set up the game.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dan watched him, trying his best to tell himself to relax and chill the fuck out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be back in a sec, just nipping to the toilet.” Phil said, as the game loaded up on the screen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I like you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Pause.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Phil said, stopping mid step.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Where the fuck had that come from? It’s like Dan’s brain and his mouth weren’t communicating with each other and his lips had moved of their own accord.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said...I...I like you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Phil looked at him quizzically. “You mean, like a friend or?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dan cursed himself internally and screwed up his face. “No, fuck I mean...like more than a friend.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Phil flopped down onto the arm of the sofa and looked at Dan. “Do you mean that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dan exhaled and finally lifted his head, making eye contact with Phil. “Yes. I have for ages, like probably 3 months? Since that party at Grace’s house I’ve just been too scared to tell you because we’re such good mates and I didn’t want to risk losing you as a friend or scaring you off and-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dan,” Phil cut him off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hm?” Dan responded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I like you too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“W-wait? You...like me? Too?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Phil nodded, sliding off the arm of the sofa and onto the seat. “Sure do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why didn’t you say anything?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well why didn’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well I-” Dan stopped. “Fair enough.” He chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Also if it helps, I kind of knew you liked me. You were kind of obvious about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dan felt his cheeks burn and he was sure that the red patch on his jaw was lighting up like a beacon. “What do you mean? Why did you never say anything to me?” He said, sitting up a little straighter and looking at Phil.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was Phil’s turn to act sheepish now and he twiddled his thumbs that were on his lap. “I, I didn’t want to presume and I just...I thought you’d tell me when you were ready. I’ll admit I did think it would have been a little sooner but I guess I can’t be picky.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dan exhaled and leant back against the sofa. He turned his head to glance across at Phil as he tried to stifle a giggle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s so funny?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Us. We’re both idiots.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guess we’re perfect for each other then.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>kudos/comments and the like are much appreciated!<br/>find me @danhoweiis on twitter and @danhowellz on tumblr</p></blockquote></div></div>
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